Moyo — national marine park with superb diving and home to a remarkable Aman resort

Understand

Nusa Tenggara is one of the least developed and least visited parts of Indonesia. While the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa are solidly Muslim, the vast majority (90%) of the rest is Christian, with a smattering of animist belief. Partly thanks to this clean division, Nusa Tenggara has been largely spared the religious conflicts of nearby Sulawesi and Maluku.

Talk

Get in

Being a vast archipelago, the main means of transport are by plane and by ship.

By plane

The main airports, with frequent flights from the Javanese mainland and Denpasar (Bali), are Mataram (Lombok), Maumere (Flores) and Kupang (West Timor). The only direct international connection from anywhere outside Indonesia directly to the islands is on SilkAir from Singapore a few times a week to Mataram.

A few flights a week also go from Denpasar, Bali to both Waingapu, Sumba (eastern part of the island) and Waikabubak (western part, near where the Pasolas are held annually).

By boat

There are frequent ferry services from Bali to Lombok. Connections between Nusa Tenggara and Indonesia's other islands, though, are limited to the occasional PELNI ferry sailing between Makassar (South Sulawesi) to Flores and, if you really want to get away from it all, from various ports in Papua via Tual and Saumlaki, Maluku to Kalabahi, Alor and onward to Flores.

Get around

From Bali in the west to Timor in the east, the classic island-hopping backpacker trail across Nusa Tenggara runs something like this:

Popular detours include visiting the 3 Gili Islands lying a few km of the western coast of Lombok and Komodo north of Flores. Less popular options include going via Sumba instead of Flores.

A night time ferry also runs, sometimes, from Waingapu, Sumba to Ende, Flores, taking about 11 hours.

See

Komodo dragon. The Komodo dragon, which lives in Rinca and Flores as well as Komodo islands, is the largest lizard in the world. Tours of are available where dragons can be seen in the wild. Tourists must be accompanied by park rangers who use forked wooden sticks to fend off any approaching dragons, and provide information about the islands and wildlife. The practice of feeding dragons stopped in 1992.

Itineraries

Do

Pasolas, festivals with ritual battles between warriors, in western Sumba in February or March.

Swimming in the Flores Sea between Sumbawa and Flores, en route to or from one of the islands in Komodo National Park.

Eat

Drink

Jus pokat (avocado juice), often including a swirl of chocolate, is generally very good.

Stay safe

Komodo Dragons, at up to 3 m (10 ft) in length, are more than capable of killing a man with ease, although human predation isn't very common. The main problem is the dragon's diseased-filled bite from the rampant bacteria residing in their mouths. The dragon usually bites a larger animal and then waits for the infection to kill it. So, despite the fact that being actually eaten is unlikely, the bite itself can be deadly. Keep at a considerable distance and never enter dragon territory alone. If you use basic common sense you should have a wonderful time viewing these magnificent animals. The absence of crocodiles on Komodo Island (due in part to a lack of suitable habitat) leave the Komodo Dragons with no natural predators.

Saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) also reside in most of this area, however they are not found on Komodo. The saltwater crocodile is the largest of all living crocodilians and the average size for an adult male is 5.2 m (17 ft) (although the largest saltwater crocodile on record was 8.8 m (29 ft) in length, from northern Queensland). They are known throughout their range as man-eaters and account for many human deaths every year. This can all be avoided by using basic common sense. Never swim in the ocean near a river mouth, in swamps or in large rivers. Never clean fish near the water or frequent the same spot at a river over a prolonged period of time, saltwater crocodiles are known to memorise a potential prey item's patterns for days or weeks at a time before attacking.